Licensed Practical Nurse - Community Care

Summary

Thank you for your interest in the Full-Time Licensed Practical Nurse - Office of Community Care (OCC) position within the Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital with the primary purpose to perform assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, positive customer service and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving the veterans.

Duties

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VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse :

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNED DUTIES :

The LPN / LVN works collaboratively in the Office of Community Care (OCC) Coordination program , an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model; closely coordinates with Community Care providers to ensure timeliness of needed services; maintains effective and efficient communication with Veterans, Community Care providers and staff, VA requesting providers and other services to assure seamless transition to and return from Community Care; develop and manage a list of key contacts and tracking system for Community Care for assigned areas; participates in Community Care team huddles to improve program effectiveness and efficiency; participates in development of priorities and deadlines, managing workflow in assigned areas according to established priorities; plans and sequences work to meet patient and provider needs; monitors pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for Community Care patient visit / procedure; enters appropriate information in the patient record, correctly schedules appointments when indicated.

As a member of the OCC department, the LPN / LVN serves as point of contact from VA to Community Care network systems of providers. S / he will be responsible for facilitate the administrative needs of patients receiving care and treatment outside the facility for surgical and medical needs by obtaining and reviewing all pertinent clinical information from the community provider. The LPN / LVN will collaborate in interdisciplinary approach to ensure seamless communication and transition of veteran care to allow development of treatment plans. S / he will perform at a competent level and work under the supervision of RN and DCOS / COS or designee.

Work Schedule : Full Time - Monday top Friday 0730-1600

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance) : Not Authorized

Pay : Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off : 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Parental Leave : After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy : After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 .

Retirement : Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance : Federal health / vision / dental / term life / long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework : Not Available

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

Physical Requirements : May require occasional heaving lifting (45lbs and over); moderate carrying (15-44lbs); standing, walking, and kneeling; pushing / pulling; the use of fingers on both hands; ability to reach above shoulders; repeated bending; climbing using legs and arms; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable to 13" to 16" so Jaeger 1 / to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20 / 20 and to 20 / 40 in the other; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic color and shades of colors; and hearing (hearing aid permitted).

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12 / 31 / 1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background / security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider :

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification / licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements :

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations : IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE - THE FOLLOWING MUST ALSO BE MET TO QUALIFY AT GRADE LEVELS INDICATED :

GS-3 . None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-4 .

Employees may be appointed at or advanced to GS-4 if they meet any of the criteria below :

(a) Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN; or

(b) Graduation from an approved school (which may be waived as provided in regulation) and one year of experience that involved nursing care work in a hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing home, or other supervised medical, nursing, or patient care facility that provided a practical knowledge of human body structure and sterile techniques and procedures; or

(c) Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration.

GS-5

(a) Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent.

(b) Demonstrated knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and / or behavioral problems. Works with the RN and / or MD / DO to appropriately orient / train less experienced LPNs / LVNs and / or Nursing Assistants (NAs) / Health Technicians (HTs) in relation to acceptable standards of practice in promoting optimal patient care delivery. Provides effective education to patients and / or family members in relation to common disease processes, medication, and / or prescribed treatment regimes.

(c) Demonstrated ability to serve as a responsible member of the nursing team and interact in an appropriate manner with patients, family members, professional and other supportive personnel involved in the delivery of patient care, incorporating acceptable, established customer service standards into practice.

(d) Knowledge and skill sufficient to prepare, administer, and appropriately document actions taken specific to commonly prescribed oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and / or intravenous medications as permitted by approved local facility policies and procedures. Observation and documentation will include patient's response to medication administered and the reporting of any noted change in patient's condition to RN or MD / DO.

(e) Knowledge and ability to recognize the need for and to institute emergency measures when indicated, promptly seek the assistance of the RN or MD / DO, and assist in resuscitation procedures in cardiac and / or pulmonary arrest.

(f) Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage / malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies, promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action.

GS-6

(a) Completion of at least one (1) year of additional qualifying experience at the GS-5 level or equivalent, fully meeting all performance requirements for the GS-5 LPN / LVN.

(b) Technically proficient in initiating, performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations.

(c) Knowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' conditions; to use judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments; and to accurately recognize, report and record relevant] patient information. Completed work should need only a general review by a registered nurse (RN) or physician (MD / DO) for appropriateness and conformity with established policies / procedures.

(d) Ability to observe, identify and respond to the patient's needs for care, including medication, equipment-assisted care and patient / family education. In organizing and delivering care, the LPN / LVN recognizes and considers emotional, cultural, spiritual, socio-economic, and age-related factors.

(e) Prepares and administers prescribed medications (oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular and / or intravenous) and performs treatments according to established policies / procedures. Observes for physical and / or emotional changes in patient's condition from prescribed medications / treatments, promptly and accurately documenting noted changes, and reporting any deviations from normal to RN or MD / DO.

(f) Knowledge and ability to recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations, seek assistance of the RN and / or MD / DO, and initiate appropriate emergency interventions as directed.

(g) Knowledge and understanding of human behavior, patient motivations and reactions to situations, and ability to appropriately utilize this knowledge in working effectively with patients, family members, and other staff.

(h) Establishes constructive relationships with individual patients and their families to elicit feelings and attitudes, and to promote positive relationships, communication and socialization skills. Fosters an environment of respect for individual patient and family rights to privacy and dignity in all aspects of care delivery. Effectively incorporates knowledge and understanding of established customer service standards in all interactions with patients, family members, and / or other internal / external customers.

(i) Knowledge and skill in performing support duties for complex diagnostic tests and / or specialized practices or procedures, which include preparing the patient, assisting in the diagnostic examination, preparing and handling specialized instruments or other specialized equipment, and monitoring the patient's condition before, during, and following the procedure. Serves as a preceptor in orienting, educating, and training less experienced LPNs / LVNs or NAs / HTs related to support duties for these more complex, specialized tests / procedures.

(j) Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, sharing new knowledge gained with other staff to improve and advance nursing practice.

Preferred Experience :

Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6.

Education

Note : Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here : If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit :

Additional information

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration / Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA / OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.